


Lonely Hearts Club

by PurplePlatypusBear21



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: 2021 Avatar Pro-Shipping Rare Pair Challenge, Angst, Avatar Rare Pair Ship Challenge, Azula x Hakoda, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Loneliness, Rare Pairings, Romance, The lonely heart is a hunter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 08:54:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29433462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurplePlatypusBear21/pseuds/PurplePlatypusBear21
Summary: As Zuko excitedly awaits the arrival of his firstborn, Azula is sent to the Southern Water Tribe in his stead to help plan the development of the Fire Nation Embassy.  Feeling lonely and out of place, Azula finds comfort in the company of the Head Chieftain.  Written for the Avatar Rare Pair Ship Challenge.
Relationships: Azula/Hakoda (Avatar)
Comments: 35
Kudos: 37
Collections: 2021 Avatar Pro-Shipping Rare Pair Challenge





	1. Arranged Travels

**Author's Note:**

> Before any antis have a heart attack, Azula is 26 in this story. It takes place about 12 years after the war ended. Azula is an adult. Don’t like? Don’t read. Also, I didn’t really follow any of the prompts, so sorry about that. Not sure how explicit this story will be yet, but I’m rating it as explicit just in case.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula arrives in the Southern Water Tribe ready to work hard so she can get back to the Fire Nation as soon as possible. Some welcome her arrival while others make it clear she's not wanted there.

The ferry ride is painfully uneventful. Azula almost wishes something dramatic would happen, if only to occupy her mind for a moment. But no, the sun is shining, the waves are gentle, and the other passengers pay her no mind. She's alone, alone with her thoughts. The air grows colder and with that, her thoughts bleaker. She wonders how she will be received, if anyone will be there to welcome her at all or if she'll have to navigate this new territory all on her own. It seems just as the Fire Nation was starting to warm up to her and she felt a semblance of belonging to a healthy family, she's tossed into the ocean, sent far, far away.

Of course, she will do this for Zuko. She's indebted to him. Through years of persistent patience, he offered her a second chance, and with that, a family. A home. She rules proudly by his side as his political adviser. He never wavered in his decision, despite all the protests from Fire Nation citizens and other global political figureheads. He trusts her. Despite everything, he trusts her, and this means everything to her. She won't disappoint him. She'll lay low, work hard, and get back to the Fire Nation as quickly as possible. And when she gets back, she'll have the honor of meeting the newest addition to the royal family, the reason why Zuko sent Azula in his stead to lead in the construction of the Fire Nation Embassy in the Southern Water Tribe in the first place. The Southern Water Tribe… she does not want to be there. It just reminds her of her defeat.

She shakes her head and laughs at her own pathetic state. The war ended twelve years ago and despite being in a much better place now, she still harbors some resentment. While many of Zuko's allies have started coming around to the idea of Azula being in their lives, Katara is not one of those people. Azula really does not want to fight with Katara. Not only will she be in Katara's stomping ground with no friends by her side, but she's also still trying to make amends and find her place in the world. She hopes that she and Katara can establish somewhat of a civil rapport.

The ferry docks in the port. The cold late autumn air is suffocating.

* * *

She smiles as she deboards showing no weakness, a false display of bravado. To her surprise, Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Chief Hakoda are there to greet her. Aang approaches first.

"Azula!" He's grinning from ear to ear but something's off. It seems forced. "Glad you could make it!" He extends his hand, which she finds odd for him, but she guesses they're not on hugging terms yet.

"It's good to see you, Aang." She sets down her luggage and shakes his hand.

"Welcome to the Southern Water Tribe!"

She takes a moment to take in her surroundings. She's awestruck. She's never seen any place like it. So white, so pristine. It's much more regal than what she was expecting. "Wow…" she whispers under her breath.

"Like what you see?" Sokka asks jokingly, posing with his arms crossed and a pompous smirk. "I can't blame you there."

Katara rolls her eyes.

Azula laughs. "I've never seen so much snow before. It's beautiful…" She squints at the intense reflection from the sun. "…almost blindingly so."

"Yeah, you'll get used to that," Sokka assures, also greeting Azula with a friendly handshake. Unlike Aang's welcome, Sokka's seems to be more genuine.

She turns to the waterbender whose stare is as icy as their surroundings. "Katara…" She doesn't know what to say to her, so she just nods.

"Azula."

"It's, um…" It's then that she notices Katara's figure. She knew beforehand Katara was pregnant but was never told how far along she was. It seems that Azula's traded in one cranky pregnant woman for another. "…well look at you. I didn't realize you and Mai were so close together in your pregnancies."

"I still have three months to go," she huffs, clearly aggravated by the comment.

"Oh, I-I didn't mean – " Great. Her first day and she's already managed to mess things up. "I just hope you're faring well." Quickly she turns to the remaining Water Tribe family member. "And you must be Head Chieftain Hakoda." She extends her hand. "It's a pleasure to formally make your acquaintance."

"You can call me Hakoda," he smiles, shaking her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Princess Azula."

"You can call me Azula," she smiles back.

"Okay, Azula it is. Shall we escort you to your inn?"

"That would be lovely, thank you." She reaches for her bag.

"Let me get that for you," Hakoda offers.

"It's okay, you don't have to. It's heavy."

"Heavy? Psh," Sokka dismisses, taking it upon himself to snatch the luggage from her, nearly dropping it. "Oh, this _is_ heavy. What do you have in here anyway?"

"Oh you know, just the essentials. Clothes, toiletries, Pai Sho set, tsungi horn, a twenty-four pound elephant koi…"

Sokka chuckles.

"Wait really?!" Aang asks incredulously.

"No," Azula says shaking her head. "Zuko told me to pack extra clothes in case I got cold, and from the feel of it… I fear I may have under packed."

"Hey, maybe Katara can take you shopping for some proper Water Tribe attire." Hakoda's suggestion is met with awkward silence.

"…I'm never opposed to a shopping spree," Azula says quietly.

"Yippee," Katara mutters sarcastically.

The five proceed to walk over to the inn, making small talk along the way. Azula answers some questions about her trip and asks about how life has been in the Water Tribe since the Southern Reconstruction Project. She gets the impression Sokka and Hakoda appreciate the improvements while Katara wishes it looked more dissimilar to their sister tribe. Aang, as usual, tries his best to stay neutral, and Azula suspects Aang's discomfort around her probably has more to do with Katara's attitude than anything else.

"Well, here we are!" Aang announces as they approach the inn, one of the larger, more grandiose buildings Azula has seen so far.

"It's one of the finest inns the Southern Water Tribe has to offer," Sokka boastfully adds. "Nothing less for a princess."

"And more importantly," Aang continues, "it's just around the corner from where you'll be working."

"And where will I be working exactly?" Azula asks. "I've been told the Fire Nation Embassy is only in its early phases of construction."

"Which is why you'll be working in…" Sokka pauses for dramatic effect. "…the royal palace!"

Azula raises an eyebrow. "There's a royal palace?"

Katara groans. "Yes, Dad's ex-girlfriend and her brother, architects from the Northern Water Tribe, decided a royal palace was just what the south was lacking. It's supposed to 'command respect' or something like that."

"It's also still heavily under construction," Aang notes. "Not much of a palace at the moment."

"But it will be!" Sokka grins. "For now, you'll be sharing an office with Dad."

"Oh." She turns to Hakoda. "Are you sure? I wouldn't want to be a bother."

"Nonsense," he assures. "My office is plenty big enough for the both of us. Besides, I think it will be nice to have some company."

"Well, if you insist."

"I do," he smiles. "Hey, let's get you checked in to your room. You're probably freezing."

* * *

The room itself is lavish without being over-the-top. Azula finds comfort in the decadence. It's certainly large for one person, though not nearly as large as her bedroom back home.

"So what do you think?" Aang asks.

Sokka jumps in before she can answer. "I know it's not like living in the royal palace, but hopefully it'll be enough for your stay."

"It's more than enough, thank you," she says graciously.

"You sure you're going to be okay without your servants?" Katara asks sardonically.

Azula smiles, paying her no mind. "I think I'll manage somehow."

"Well, we'll let you get settled in," Hakoda says. "I know you're probably exhausted from your travels, but if you're feeling up for it, we'd love to treat you to dinner tonight."

Azula is taken aback by his generosity. "That's kind of you. Dinner sounds – "

"You've probably never had Southern Water Tribe food before, am I right?" Sokka asks with eager curiosity.

"No, I can't say I have…"

"Ooh, I hope you like sea prune stew, pickled fish, and blubbered seal jerky!" Katara sneers.

Not one to back down from a challenge, Azula smirks. "I love trying new foods."

"Great!" Sokka's grin widens. "Then I'll be here to pick you up when it's time for our reservation. See you later!"

She smiles as she watches them file out of her room, sighing audibly when she's finally alone. While she's grateful for the hospitality Sokka and Hakoda have shown her, she wishes things weren't so unbearable with Katara, and as a consequence, uncomfortable with Aang. She turns to start unpacking her bag when she hears footsteps behind her. A looming shadow cast from the doorway. It's Katara.

"Can I help you?" Azula asks with a flat tone.

"You can drop the act."

"Excuse me?"

"The nice girl act."

The princess groans and rolls her eyes.

"You may have everyone else fooled, but not me."

"Yeah… Zuko warned me you might make some longwinded speech about trust and forgiveness."

Her blue eyes narrow. "People don't just change overnight."

"Katara," she says frustratedly, "I don't know what to tell you. The war ended over a decade ago. I don't want to be here any more than you want me here – "

"I find that hard to believe."

"– We don't have to be friends, but while I'm here, can't we at least try to coexist without dispute?"

"No."

"And why's that?"

"Because I know who you really are," she spits. "You're the kind of person who lies and manipulates everyone to get your way. You're ruthless and cruel, and you don't care about anyone but yourself." She laughs derisively. "Even since the war ended, you tried to kill your own mother, ran away and had your brother worried sick, and then came back only to kidnap Fire Nation children – "

Azula tried to interject but the waterbender kept talking.

"– And then you even had the gall to spin it around and say you only did it to make Zuko look like an effective leader. So just what are you plotting now, hm?"

She just wants to curl into a ball and disappear. Her worst fears about going to the Southern Water Tribe are coming true. It turns out her paranoia was spot on. The rejection, having her past thrown right back in her face despite all the progress she's made, it's overwhelming. Her heart is racing, her head is spinning, she's doing all she can to keep her hands from shaking. Yet she puts on a brave face and retorts, "Would you like the long version or the short? You know, with all the evildoing I have planned, I'm afraid I really only have time to give you a brief summary."

"You can mock me all you want. Just know that whatever it is you have planned, it's not going to work. You're in the Southern Water Tribe now. I have eyes and ears everywhere."

"If you're really planning on spying on me, don't you think it would have been in your best interest to, I don't know, not tell me about it?" she laughs tauntingly.

"This isn't funny, Azula," she snarls, starting to get teary eyed.

The firebender wonders if she's taken things too far.

"You… you almost took my future from me." Katara places a hand on her pregnant stomach. "You almost killed Aang – "

"Yes, and that was wrong of me – "

"I will _never_ forgive you."

The women stare at each other in burning silence for a moment.

"So you'd better watch your step," Katara bitterly continues. "Down here, you are powerless against me. You hear me? _Powerless_."

Azula smirks out of habit. "If you say so."

Katara storms out and Azula's left wondering why she can't just swallow her pride and be the bigger person for once in her life.

* * *

Thankfully, dinner has a far more jovial atmosphere. Hakoda's sitting alone at a table, signaling for Azula and Sokka to join him.

"I hope you don't mind, but I went ahead and ordered the sampling platter, or as I like to call it, a little bit of everything."

"Sounds perfect," Azula says, looking around the restaurant. "Um… where are Aang and Katara? Won't they be joining us?"

"Oh, um, Katara wasn't feeling well so she decided to stay home," Hakoda answers. "Aang stayed back to take care of her."

Azula can easily read between the lines. "I see."

"Hey, more for us!" Sokka chortles.

She gives him a halfhearted smile.

"Did, uhhh, Katara say something to you? Back at the inn?" Sokka asks before chuckling uncomfortably. "We almost left without her."

"Katara…" Azula isn't sure if she should say anything. She decides to keep things vague. "…may have _lightly_ threatened me."

Hakoda sighs with disappointment. "You'll have to forgive my daughter. She hasn't been acting like herself lately. The pregnancy has been very hard on her, much more so than she anticipated."

"Yeah, she's been acting totally crazy," Sokka adds. "A real headache for all of us. If you thought she cried a lot before, you've seen nothing yet. Must be the hormones."

"Sokka," Hakoda says disapprovingly.

"What, it's true! All I'm saying is, I'm gonna be _real_ happy when that kid is out of her."

"Well, I can understand that," Azula laughs. "I can't imagine it's easy to spawn a tiny human inside of you. Mai's been grouchier and bossier than usual too, however unbelievable that might seem. Zuko's hair is already starting to gray." Realizing her audience and what she just said, she turns to Hakoda, panicked. "N-Not that there's anything wrong with that. I find it makes him look more distinguished…"

Hakoda chuckles from deep within his belly, and Azula is instantly relieved. "Yeah, well, kids will do that to you. Speaking of, when is Mai due to deliver?"

"Any day now."

"You must be excited to be an aunt."

"You know," she smiles, "I'm not exactly a baby person, but… I really am."

He smiles warmly at her. "I bet you can't wait to get back home and meet your niece or nephew, but in the meantime, please let me know if there's anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable while you're here. I know you're probably feeling…" He pauses, his smile widening. "…out of your element."

"HAH!" Sokka bursts out laughing. "Good one, Dad!"

Azula covers her mouth as she snickers at the bad joke. "I can see where Sokka gets his sense of humor."

"Hey!" Sokka looks mildly offended. "That was funny!"

"I never said it wasn't!"

The food arrives and the three of them chow down. Southern Water Tribe cuisine is not her favorite, but she's enjoying her meal nonetheless. The company is good at the very least. She finds it surprisingly effortless to talk to Sokka and Hakoda. They're constantly cracking jokes and that puts her at ease. It doesn't hurt that Sokka has an arsenal of embarrassing Zuko stories seemingly large enough to match her own. Gradually the food disappears before their eyes, and not before long, they're left with content, very full bellies.

"Hey, you gonna finish that?" Sokka asks, eyeing the puffin-seal sausage on Azula's plate.

"I couldn't eat another bite," she says, shaking her head and passing the dish over to him before turning her attention to Hakoda. "Thank you so much for treating me to dinner. It's been a wonderful evening."

"You're very welcome." He laughs. "I wish we could eat like this every night."

"You can say that again!" Sokka agrees through a mouth full of sausage.

She snickers. "So… what time should I plan to be in the office tomorrow?"

"Azula, you _just_ got here. Take the day off. Relax."

"No, it's okay, I really don't mind – "

"Sokka's going to give you the grand tour tomorrow."

"Is he now?" She turns to Sokka. "Are you being forced to do this?" she asks facetiously.

"No!" he laughs. "I want to."

"Sokka loves showing off the new and improved Water Tribe," Hakoda says.

"It's true," he grins. "So get ready for it because tomorrow it's just gonna be you and me."

She's caught off guard by his phrasing. Having someone in her life who deliberately wants to spend time alone with her is quite the rarity. Maybe it's all the food or his offer or a combination of the two, but suddenly she feels warm inside. "Well," she smiles, "how can I say no to that?"


	2. Forever Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula and Sokka become fast friends, but the princess reads a little too much into their interactions.

Hakoda was right. Sokka loves showing off the new and improved Southern Water Tribe. Perhaps Azula is out of her element in the cold down south, but Sokka is completely comfortable and seemingly can't get enough of his own voice. Azula finds his borderline egomania endearing. She's especially surprised and touched by how relaxed he is around her in a one-on-one setting. Most people walk on eggshells around her and she can feel that. It bothers her every time. But not Sokka. He genuinely seems to enjoy her company. Or perhaps he's just eager to be away from Katara. Sokka smiles proudly as he shows her around, introducing her to all the new sights and attractions, complete with history of what lay there before the construction… which mostly just consisted of snow.

Sokka wraps up his tour and the two decide to grab a bite to eat. A couple hours walking in the snow sure worked up their appetites, and Azula uses the meal as an opportunity to thaw out a bit. She's far from used to the cold and she's not sure she'll ever fully adjust. She has to admit though that Sokka is a good walking companion. He entertains her to a point where she sometimes forgets how cold she is. They finish their lunch and Azula is about ready to head back to the inn, but Sokka seems to have other plans in mind.

"So, how's about you and I hit the shops?" he asks eagerly.

"For what?"

"For clothes! For you."

She raises an eyebrow.

"Well I don't think Katara's going to be taking you shopping any time soon," he continues, "But _I_ will." He flashes her a wide grin.

"You really want to take me shopping?" she asks incredulously.

"Are you kidding? I love shopping! Besides, I know this cute little boutique not too far from here, I think their clothes would look good on you…"

"Okay, okay," she laughs. "I do need a warmer coat. Let's do this."

Sokka escorts Azula to the boutique where he immediately takes charge, rummaging through racks of clothing and pulling out potential garments to buy.

Azula can't help but snicker. "You're seriously picking out my outfits?"

"You may be a princess, but I know Water Tribe fashion better than you do," he says confidently.

"I – " She pauses. "I suppose you're not wrong."

A shop employee comes over to help but Sokka shoos her away, making it clear he has everything under control. He hands Azula a heaping pile of clothing and excitedly rushes her over to one of the dressing rooms.

"Start with the coats."

She's amused by his command. "Would you like to see the outfits I've tried on?"

"Obviously! I'm not just going to let you buy anything without seeing it first."

It's something a friend would say, and this makes her smile. Maybe after today she'll feel comfortable calling Sokka her friend. Spirits know she could sure use more of those. She tries on a coat and steps out of the dressing room.

"Well, what do you think?" she asks.

"Who knew you looked so pretty in blue? It really suits you."

She can feel her cheeks fill with heat and she hopes he can't see it. "So… it's a keeper?"

"Probably, but try the other ones on too so we can compare."

She tries on a few more coats followed by some casual tunics. Each time she steps out of the dressing room, Sokka compliments her appearance. The compliments are innocuous enough, but she can't help but wonder if perhaps Sokka and Suki are no longer a couple. She had never heard of them breaking up, but this is also information she probably wouldn't have learned even if they had. Zuko isn't one to gossip about his friends, and Ty Lee probably would have assumed Azula wouldn't be interested in such news. She thinks it best not to let herself get carried away with these thoughts. Surely Sokka wouldn't be interested in a girl like her anyway.

After she's done with the casual attire, she moves on to the dresses Sokka picked out for her. Nothing super fancy or formal, but dressy enough for any special occasions that may arise while she's here. The look on Sokka's face as she leaves the dressing room is something that will be etched into her mind for a long time.

"Wow," he breathes. He's quiet for a moment before chuckling nervously. "You were made for that dress, I-I mean, that dress was made for you."

She likes that he's flustered but she's almost positive she's blushing now and she doesn't want to react this way. "What can I say? I look good in everything I wear," she says teasingly.

"You really do." He smiles warmly at her. "You look beautiful."

"Stop," she dismisses, hating how much of an effect he was having on her. "Okay, actually keep going."

"You _have_ to buy that dress. It would be a great disservice if you didn't. Ooh, I know! You can wear it to the Glacier Spirits Festival!"

This isn't the first time she's heard of the Glacier Spirits Festival but she didn't realize her time in the Southern Water Tribe would overlap with this event. "Whatever you say. You're the fashion guru after all."

"That's right, and as your fashion guru, I advise you to buy everything you just tried on."

"No way!" she laughs. "That's way too much."

"You're a royal princess, you can afford it!"

"I can afford it, but I certainly can't cart all of this with me back to the Fire Nation."

"I guess that's true," he sighs. "Well good luck paring these down."

"You're not going to help me?"

"No." He shakes his head. "You look too good in everything, you're just too pretty. My work here is done."

She smiles at the compliment and heads back to the fitting room to go over her options again. It's not as hard as her fashion guru's made it out to be. She reflects on all the reactions she got from Sokka and chooses the clothing that elicited the best responses.

"Hey," she says as she makes her way over to the merchant to check out, "let me buy you something. You know, to thank you for your time and expertise."

"Really?!" he asks enthusiastically. "Like what?"

"Anything from the store. My treat."

"Hmmm…" He looks around the shop. "Well, a man can never have too many bags." He picks one out and hands it to her. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"Don't mention it." She checks out and Sokka helps her carry all the clothes back to the inn.

"I had a lot of fun today," he smiles as they approach her room.

"Me too," she smiles back. In all honesty, it's the most fun she's had in a long time.

"Do you maybe… want to hang out tomorrow too?"

"I, um – " She nearly chokes on the words. Why is he making her feel this way? So vulnerable and eager. Sokka in all likelihood has a girlfriend and it's foolish to get her hopes up like this. She wants it to stop, to gain control over her emotions like she used to be able to when she was younger. "I have to work tomorrow."

"I know. After that."

Slowly, she nods. "Sure, I'd… I'd like that. What did you have in mind?"

He grins. "Have you ever been sledding?"

* * *

Alas, Azula finds herself atop a snowy hill that looks much steeper from the top than it did from the bottom. She's not afraid of heights but knowing she's about to torpedo down this hill on a shaky wooden vehicle with limited capability for steering makes her vision tunnel for a second.

Sokka senses her apprehension. "Don't worry, this is something little kids do all the time."

"Yeah, well, little kids don't conceptualize their own mortality."

"Fair point," he chuckles. "Hey, we don't have to do this if you really don't want to. I always forget how scary it is until I'm standing up here myself – "

"No, no. We're doing this." She conquered Ba Sing Se at fourteen, there's no way she's chickening out of a common children's activity.

"Then how about we make things a little more… interesting?" he asks with a diabolical smirk.

"Oh?"

"Let's race."

"That's it?"

"If I win," he continues, "then you have to be my personal slave for a day."

"Really, Sokka? You couldn't come up with something more creative than that?"

"What, I like to be waited upon," he laughs. "And if _you_ win, then I'll be your personal slave for a day. How does that sound?"

She looks him square in the eye. "That sounds like an unfair bet to me. No deal."

"What?" he asks, feigning innocence. "You don't think you can beat me?"

"We're starting out at the same height. All the conditions are the same. The one difference is that you weigh more than I do, and therefore, you're guaranteed to travel faster than me."

"Dammit. I should have known better than to try to trick you."

"Sorry to burst your bubble," she hums with a haughty shrug.

"Don't be." He smiles. "I like that you understand science. I can't really talk about it with most people."

She decides to press her luck and find out for certain if Sokka is still with the Kyoshi warrior or not. "Suki's not interested in science?"

"No." He shakes his head. "It bores her. I think I've actually put her to sleep talking about it."

Ah, so they're still together. Figures. "That's a shame…"

"Yeah," he shrugs. "Oh well. What can ya do?"

She knows she shouldn't be trying to drive a wedge between Sokka and Suki, but for some reason she wants to. She hates herself for feeling this way. "You know what, Sokka? I changed my mind. I'll take that bet."

"What, really?!" He steps forward to shake her hand to officiate the bet, but then pulls his hand back. "Wait a second…"

She smirks.

"You're going to firebend to propel yourself, aren't you."

Her smirk morphed into an innocent grin. "I wouldn't dream of it!"

"Okay, okay. All bets are off."

She laughs.

"Let's just go down on the count of three."

The two get into their individual shoddily crafted sleds.

"One… two… THREE!"

Azula pushes off and her sled tips over the snowy edge. There's no turning back now. It accelerates and she's forced to surrender all control. Her stomach drops and she's screaming. Sokka's screaming too, maybe even louder than she is, and this offers her a bit of comfort. Finally she reaches the bottom and the land plateaus, slowing down her speed considerably. She lands safely, sighing with relief. Unsurprisingly, Sokka is already at the bottom.

"You made it!" he cheers. "See? That wasn't so bad, now was it?"

"That was exhilarating! Let's do it again."

They trek up the hill and sled back down again, and again, and again. Azula's cheeks sting and her ears hurt from the cold, but the fun she's having with Sokka outweighs all the discomfort. After a while, they grow tired and a bit sore. Sokka proposes they try something different for their final trip down the hill.

"You want to do _what_ now?" she asks.

"Let's share a sled! Come on, we'll go lightning fast."

"I don't think we can fit!"

"We can fit," he assures. "Just hold onto me."

"I – " She realizes she's reading too much into things again and yet she can't help herself. "It's a stupid and dangerous idea." She smiles. "Let's try it."

Azula abandons her sled at the bottom of the hill, and she and Sokka make the final trek up with his sled alone. They position themselves with Sokka in the front sitting between her legs. She's never had this much human contact before in a non-combat setting. It feels nice.

"Hold on tight, okay?"

She nods and wraps her arms snugly around him. She wants to rest her head on his shoulder but she knows better than to do this.

"Alright, here we go." He pushes off and they speed forward, barreling down the near-frictionless hill. Fast does not begin to cover it. Her eyes tear up and her cheeks fly back toward her ears. They're both screaming at the top of their lungs, and all she can do is close her eyes and hope for the best.

They dive into a snowbank and are both launched from the sled. Sokka lands headfirst in the snow, while Azula lands ungracefully on her side, the wind completely knocked out of her.

Sokka breaks free of the snow and rushes over to her. "Azula, Azula! Are you okay?!"

She tries to answer but can't. She holds up a finger to let him know she's trying to speak.

"This was such a bad idea, I'm so sorry! Are you hurt?"

She's fine and has no way of conveying this to him. It's frustrating.

"Did you break something?! I can carry you to a healer. I am _so_ sorry, this is all my fault." He tries to pick her up, but she pushes him away.

"I'm… fine," she manages to get out. "Just… can't talk." She smiles at him and he gives her a puzzled look. She doesn't know why, but all of a sudden, she starts laughing. She's laughing uncontrollably, rolling in the snow like a maniac. Her entire side is probably bruised and yet she's laughing and can't stop.

It must be contagious because Sokka starts laughing too. He laughs loudly and unabashedly. He laughs until he falls into the snow next to her. Good thing they're alone because any bystander would probably think they're insane.

Finally she starts to collect herself and turns to Sokka who's still in hysterics. "We're never doing that again."

* * *

For the next couple weeks, Azula and Sokka find ways to spend time with each other every day. Sometimes it's only for an hour or two after work, other times it's the whole day. Around Sokka, she feels like she can really cut loose and let her walls down. She's never felt so relaxed around anyone like this before. Even after she receives the news that Mai delivered a healthy baby girl, who Mai and Zuko decided to name Izumi, she's less eager to return to the Fire Nation than she was when she first arrived.

Even her workdays pass by quickly. Hakoda treats her well, and on days when they don't have meetings or a lot of work to do, they play games together, share long lunches, and goof off. They may be colleagues and his humor is often corny, but Hakoda really has a knack for making her laugh. With the way things are going, Azula starts to think that maybe she could make a life for herself down here in the Southern Water Tribe.

It's a bitterly cold night and Sokka is teaching Azula how to build an igloo. Apparently he grew up in one of these snow dwellings and Azula is skeptical how he ever managed to stay warm. After they finish, they crawl inside and there's barely enough room for Azula to stand up. She sits next to Sokka.

"Ours was much bigger than this," he informs. "It was fully furnished and everything. A real igloo takes a lot longer to make."

She nods. "It's actually quite a bit warmer in here than it is out there. I'm surprised."

"But you're still freezing, aren't you."

She sighs, hating to admit weakness. "Perhaps."

"Hey… can I show you something?"

"Okay…"

"It's at home. In my bedroom."

"Umm…" A thousand thoughts race through her mind. What can he possibly have to show her in his bedroom?! Is he trying to lure her there under false pretenses? What is his real motivation? Is something going to happen between them? She quickly shakes the thought out of her head. Sokka is still with Suki. Of course nothing is going to happen, but… what if he did make a move? Would she go for it? "Aren't Katara and Aang there? I-I don't want to disturb them."

"We'll have to sneak in." He winks at her.

"Okay," she murmurs.

The two successfully manage to sneak into Sokka's room undetected. It's dark. Azula takes it upon herself to light some lanterns. She hopes her signature blue fire won't give her away. Sokka's sitting on the floor with his back against the mattress. He motions for her to come sit next to him.

She takes a seat and whispers, "So what did you want to show me?"

He smiles before open a drawer from his nightstand and pulling out a small box. Turning toward Azula, he slowly opens it. The light of the fire catches the pearly, opalescent object inside as it flickers in the darkness.

Her mouth opens before she speaks as she admires its beauty. "Oh, Sokka. Is this… an engagement ring?"

Grinning, he nods. "It's a moonstone."

"It's beautiful," she smiles. "She'll love it."

"Thanks. I'm going to propose at the Glacier Spirits Festival."

She's excited for him of course, and yet, she feels disappointed and empty. Insecurity and jealousy begin to gnaw at her. Naturally she had read too much into Sokka's warmth and friendship. This was foolish of her and she won't make that mistake again. "Suki's a lucky woman. She'd be a fool to say no."

"Yeah, she would be," he boastfully teases.

She laughs. "Hey, how do you know that… oh, never mind."

"No, what?"

"Nothing, it's stupid."

"Now you have to tell me!"

She sighs. "How do you know that… Suki is your person? I mean, surely there are other people in the world with whom you're… maybe even more compatible?"

"Hm, that's a good question." He pauses to think. "Sure Suki and I may have our differences, she doesn't care for science and Spirits know she has a horrible taste in music, but when it comes down to it, I… I can't imagine my life without her."

"Okay but, couldn't you say the same thing about a good friend? Like what about Aang? You couldn't imagine your life without him either, I presume."

"Well…" He chuckles. "The big difference there is I don't want to have sex with Aang."

She laughs.

"Look, I know it's cliché but, when you know you know. And I know that Suki's my person." He smiles at her. "You'll know it too, when you find your person."

"Hm," she snorts. "We'll see about that." She wants to believe him, but she's doubtful she even has a person to find. With her track record, she thinks it may be best if she's alone. She can't imagine anyone will want to spend his life with her. She can't imagine she'd be good for anyone.

"Relationships aren't always easy, you know. Katara and Aang make it seem easy since they can't be away from each other for more than a minute, but between you and me… the long distance has been… difficult to say the least."

"How so?"

"I haven't had sex in months!"

Azula rolls her eyes. She almost blurts out that she hasn't had sex in… well, ever, but she keeps it to herself.

He shakes his head. "I love Suki, but seriously, I want to fuck every hot girl I see."

"Well, then it must be _killing_ you to be alone with me in your bedroom," she jests. "In the dark."

He laughs. "You're hot and all, but you're very much off limits."

"What do you mean 'off limits'?!"

"You're my best friend's little sister! Zuko would _never_ forgive me for something like that."

"Hm. Interesting."

"What?"

"It's interesting to know that you consider Zuko to be your best friend and not Aang."

"They're both my best friends!" he says defensively. "I'm going to ask them both to be my best men, just like Zuko and I were Aang's best men at his and Katara's wedding. Oh right, you weren't there…"

She scowls.

"You're not… offended are you? I mean, it's not like you'd lower your standards to debase yourself with a 'water peasant' such as myself, now would you?"

She smirks and shrugs. "I guess you'll never know."

"Hah!" he laughs out loud before placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad we're friends."

"Me too."

She means it. She truly is glad they're friends. But at the same time, she can't help but wonder if anyone will ever want her the same way Sokka wants Suki. Above all, she just wants to be wanted. And it hurts believing that it will never happen.


	3. Hurt/Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka is supposed to teach Azula how to ice skate, but when Suki arrives early to the Southern Water Tribe, he bails on the princess. Hakoda decides to take Azula ice skating instead.

Knowing that romance is completely off the table, Azula no longer feels the need to impress Sokka or be a perfectionist around him, and this seems to have strengthened their bond. The princess has never had a friendship quite like this before, one where she feels fully trusted and doesn't have to use fear as a means of control. The one minor drawback is the excitement of seeing him has waned as their interactions have become more routine. But today she eagerly awaits his arrival. Sokka's going to teach her something new. She notices he's running late, but she's not concerned about it. It's not the first time he's late to pick her up and she's occupying herself by drafting some contracts at her desk.

Hakoda pops his head into the office on his way back from a meeting. "What are you still doing here? It's late."

"Just working while I wait for Sokka. He's taking me ice skating today."

"Oh," he frowns, "um…" He scrunches his face as he figures out what to say.

Azula looks up at him, trying to discern his expression. She can sense she's about to be delivered some bad news.

"Suki's here… She arrived early. To surprise him. He probably just forgot to tell you."

"I see," she says flatly, her stomach sinking.

"I'm sorry. Please don't be upset with him. They hardly ever get to see each other."

"It's fine, I understand." She sighs. "They probably… have a lot of catching up to do."

"Yes, that's a nice way of putting it," Hakoda chuckles.

"Okay then. I, uh, I guess I'll just wrap this up and head home then." She's annoyed. She's very annoyed. It's not that Sokka bailed on her to spend time with his soon-to-be fiancée, it's that he couldn't even be bothered to tell her that aggravates her. Some friend. Suddenly she feels foolish, that maybe she's more invested in their friendship than he is. She hates that she cares this much.

"Hey… why don't I take you ice skating?" he offers.

"Oh, you don't have to do that." She really doesn't want his pity.

"I know I don't." He smiles. "I want to."

She looks at him incredulously.

"I mean it. What, you don't think an old man like me enjoys ice skating?"

"You're not old, Hakoda," she laughs.

"Then come on! The rink won't be open all evening."

* * *

The ice-skating rink is loud and filled with children. It certainly isn't the best atmosphere for Azula to learn a new skill, especially given her current mood. Parents watching from outside the rink all seem to know Hakoda and greet him accordingly.

"Why, aren't you mister popular?" she teases.

"I work in a palace now, I'm essentially royalty," he teases back.

"Sure…" She smiles snidely. "Whatever you say."

He laughs. "Let's get our skates."

She notices some suspicious looks directed at her, and she's not sure if it's because people recognize her or because they're trying to figure out who she is. Even in her new Water Tribe coat, she probably still stands out, especially since she's with the Head Chieftain.

Azula picks up her skates and sits down to put them on, but before she can start to lace them, Hakoda kneels in front of her.

"Here, let me help you with that." He begins lacing her skates. "You want them to be snug."

While she feels like she could have done this herself, she appreciates his subservience. It reminds her of life in the royal palace. "Thanks, Hakoda." He pulls the laces tightly around her feet and she's instantly uncomfortable. "Are they really supposed to be _this_ snug?"

He pushes down on her toes to check that the skates are the correct size. "Yep. You're all set."

"Great." She stands up and almost loses her balance. It's nearly impossible to move. "How am I supposed to walk all the way over to the rink from here?!"

"You'll get the hang of it," he assures as he laces up his own skates.

"Hmph." She begins to walk awkwardly over to the rink.

"I'll help you." He offers her a hand.

"I've got this," she mutters, refusing his help.

They get to the rink and Hakoda steps onto the ice without faltering, as if it were any other surface. Azula, on the other hand, is not so elegant. She takes one step onto the ice and immediately withdraws her foot.

"How," she says, shaking her head and laughing with embarrassment. "There's no way."

"I've got you." He offers her his hand again. "You can do this."

She takes his offer this time and lets him help her onto the ice, where she immediately latches onto the side railing. "I think I can take it from here."

"Oh yeah?"

"I'll figure it out."

"I'm sure you will," he smiles. "You're quite capable."

She scowls as she tries to propel herself forward. She's doing everything she can to keep from tipping over. How children are able to do this so easily is beyond her comprehension. "You… you don't have to watch me." She doesn't want to ruin Hakoda's fun.

"I want to help you."

"I'm fine on my own." She has always been fine on her own, so this shouldn't be any different.

"Okay… just know that I'm here if you need me." He takes off, zipping past novice and experienced skaters alike.

She's impressed, Hakoda is a surprisingly agile skater. But seeing all the commoners enjoying themselves on the ice just makes her feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and humiliated. The day had been going fine up until she learned Sokka ditched her. She really does understand why he'd choose to spend time with Suki over her, but she wishes he had told her himself, that he hadn't forgotten about her. At this point in her life, she's used to the people close to her choosing others over her. Her mother, uncle, and Mai all chose Zuko over her, her father chose power over her, Ty Lee chose Mai over her, and now here's Sokka. The pattern couldn't be more obvious.

She grits her teeth and fights back tears as she struggles along the wall, using the rail to push herself forward. Her skates have not left the ice and every time she tries to rely less on the rail, her legs become wobbly. This is the absolute worst. She hates ice skating and the way this stupid day is shaping out. She just wants to go home.

Hakoda does a few laps around the rink and then stops by Azula to check in. She's made it about three quarters of the way around and still hasn't left the wall.

"Making some progress, I see," he says.

"You're joking right?" She can't tell if he's being sarcastic or not.

"No… you've almost made it all the way around…"

She rolls her eyes.

He looks at her with concern. "Are you okay?"

"I – " She wants to tell him she's fine and to leave her alone, but she feels like she could burst into tears at any moment. How humiliating that would be. She stops and shakes her head. "No, I'm not."

"What's going on?"

"I can't do this," she murmurs. "I don't get it, I-I'm a skilled fighter, I work out every morning, so why can't I do this when everyone else can?"

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself! This is your first time, you can't expect to be an expert – "

"I'm not used to being bad at something. Everything usually comes so easily to me…"

"Nobody's good at everything. You're lucky things usually come naturally to you! But don't write this off just yet, I really believe you can do this."

She looks down at her skates.

"You know, it's okay to ask for help sometimes."

She's quiet for a moment before sighing dramatically. "Fine. Hakoda, will you help me?"

"I'd be happy to," he smiles, skating in front of her and turning around to face her. "Give me your hands."

Doubtful she can take her hands off the railing, she looks at him with skepticism.

"You'll learn a lot faster away from the wall."

"If you say so." Carefully, she places her hands in his, one at a time.

"There you go," he says proudly.

Hakoda's hands are warm, strong, and calloused. Despite her long fingers, her hands look so small and dainty in comparison. His hands tell a story, a story of a man who fought through the hardships of war, of someone who's loved and who's lost. She fought in the same war and yet her hands don't tell much of a story, only that of a spoiled princess.

Slowly, he proceeds to skate backwards, pulling her along with him. She nearly loses her balance for a second.

"Don't worry, I've got you," he assures.

She's comforted by his words. "I can't believe you can do this backwards," she mutters. "What a showoff."

He chuckles. "Hey, now that you know what it feels like, why don't you try pushing yourself forward?"

"Ummm…"

"I won't let you fall."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

She nods.

"One foot at a time, just push off your back foot and transfer your weight to the other."

She follows his directions, and lo and behold, she manages to skate forward. Her legs are still a bit shaky and she's clutching onto Hakoda's hands for dear life, but she's actually skating now.

"Yes, that's it. See? You can do this."

A gentle smile graces her features. She gets the rhythm down before long and begins to push him backwards and she continues to skate forward, picking up some speed as she gains confidence.

"You're really quite the natural," he says encouragingly.

"Please don't patronize me," she grumbles.

"I'm not!" he laughs. "You just needed a little guidance."

She pouts.

"You don't have to be so stubborn you know."

"Clearly you don't know me at all," she smiles, looking up into his eyes. She never noticed how blue they are before now.

He smiles back at her. "Do you want to try skating on your own? I don't think you need me anymore."

"Okay," she nods.

Just as soon as she releases her grip on his hands, an employee comes over and announces the rink is closing.

"Of course," Azula frowns. "Just my luck."

"Let me see if I can get them to keep it open a little longer. I know the owner." Hakoda gives Azula a little wink before skating off the rink. He returns with a pompous grin.

"So?"

"So we all need to clear the ice so they can clean it, but the two of us can stay late as long as we lock up." He flashes her a key.

She smirks. "It's good to be Head Chieftain."

"It certainly is."

Hakoda helps Azula off the ice and the two pick up some hot cocoa from the refreshment stand as they wait for the ice to be cleaned. Azula enjoys watching everyone else pack up and leave. She thinks she can make some real progress without feeling like she's being watched.

"Are you feeling any better now that you're getting the hang of it?"

"Yeah, a bit," she says, shrugging.

"You're upset with Sokka, aren't you."

She doesn't answer.

"He should have told you. He shouldn't have kept you waiting like that. He doesn't exactly think with his head when Suki is around…"

"Whatever."

"I know what would make you feel better."

"What?" She instantly regrets asking because she knows exactly where this is going.

"Do you want to hear a joke?"

"No!" she groans, throwing her head back. "Your jokes are horrendous."

"Oh, come on. Did I ever tell you the one about nepotism?"

"No…"

"That's because I only tell it to my kids."

"Ugh," she groans again.

"What about the one about construction? Oh, right, I'm still working on that one."

"Stop," she laughs. "You and your son may think you're funny, but you're not."

"Then why are you laughing?"

"I'm not," she says, continuing to laugh. "Why are you always trying to make me laugh?"

He shrugs. "I like your laugh."

Suddenly she feels self-conscious. "What, do I have a weird laugh or something?"

"No! It's just… you have a reputation for being, well… let's say tough."

"That's a nice way of putting it…"

"And when you laugh, you just seem… less menacing, that's all."

"Well, you haven't heard my evil laugh," she smirks.

"And hopefully I'll never have to."

"If you keep telling bad jokes, you just might…"

"Okay, okay," he chuckles. "Then I guess I won't tell you my retirement jokes. They never work anyway."

"Don't test me, Hakoda," she threatens through her laughter.

He smiles. "Hey, looks like the ice is ready."

They head back to the rink where Hakoda helps Azula onto the frozen surface once again. This time she's determined to get it right. She starts out slowly. Hakoda stays loyally by her side as she carefully travels around the rink, giving her reassurance and praise along the way. His words of encouragement are near foreign to her. Sprits know she's never had this sort of support growing up. It was triumph or punishment; perfection was her only option.

After successfully making it around the rink a few times, she slows down to a halt. She takes a quick look around and notices all the new marks they left on the ice, the intricate, erratic patterns they created together.

"Ready to call it a night?" Hakoda asks.

"No." She's determined to push herself. "I want to do one more lap, but this time I want to see how fast I can go."

"Okay," he chuckles. "Do you want me to come along with you?"

"No, I don't want you to slow me down," she says facetiously.

He laughs. "I'll be waiting at the entrance then. Don't hurt yourself."

She takes off and starts racing across the ice. With the rink all to herself she can't help but feel liberated as she soars along the frictionless surface. The breeze in her hair, the cold air on her cheeks… it's all so freeing. Who'd have guessed she would actually take to the ice?

She can see Hakoda standing outside the rink by the entrance as she approaches. She panics for a moment as she figures out how she's going to stop at this speed, but she soon figures out that she can just skate into the railing and stop herself. However, as soon as she's about to complete her speed run, she hits a rough patch of ice and loses all control. She's prepared to hit the unforgiving frozen brick, but instead of crashing against the solid surface, she finds herself in Hakoda's arms.

"I've got you," he says, trying to gain a solid footing on the ice.

She breathes heavily as she looks up into his eyes. "Hakoda…" she whispers. "Thank you."

He smiles softly at her. "I told you I wouldn't let you fall."


	4. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Sokka delivers some bad news to Azula, the princess decides she's not going to the Glacier Spirits Festival. Hakoda, however, is able to change her mind after some persistence. Azula's perspective changes after gaining some insight from Ty Lee.

It's not unusual for Sokka to visit the office while Azula and Hakoda are working. Sometimes he joins them for lunch; other times he just stops by for a short chat. But ever since Suki arrived, Sokka rarely shows up alone. Azula is fairly indifferent to Suki's presence. She wouldn't say they're friends by any stretch of the imagination, but they're on somewhat friendly terms. They can tolerate each other at the very least, which is a huge improvement from the way things were when Azula first moved back to the palace. Ty Lee had been instrumental in making sure they all got along. While Azula is appreciative of that, she gets the impression Suki will never fully forgive her for having her imprisoned in the Boiling Rock, and she can't exactly blame her for that.

But today, Sokka is not accompanied by his girlfriend, and Azula can tell he has something on his mind. Her stomach knots with dread.

She tells herself that maybe it won't be bad news. The last time he showed up alone, he did offer Azula a heartfelt apology for bailing on her. He seemed genuinely remorseful. Of course, Azula would have forgiven him anyway, after all, so many people in her life, including Sokka, had given her a second chance. She would have been foolish not to do the same.

He sits down in front of her at her desk, as if she's invited him in for a meeting. "Do you have a minute?" he asks, his voice squeaking at the end.

"Sure… what's going on?"

"N-Nothing! I, um, just wanted to talk to you about the Glacier Spirits Festival."

"Oh, right. I forgot about that. That's coming up soon, right?"

"It's on the winter solstice."

She nods. "So what about it? You're not chickening out of your proposal, are you?"

"No!" he says quickly, shaking his head. "Not at all."

"Okay, good."

He's quiet for a moment. He's never quiet, and Azula doesn't know what to make of it. The suspense gnaws at her.

"So…" he starts, avoiding eye contact. "I just wanted to invite you to come with us to the celebration." He looks up and smiles awkwardly at her.

"With you and Suki?"

"Well, yeah, me and Suki… and the rest of the group."

"Who's 'the rest of the group'?" she questions. Her voice falls flat. "Aang and Katara…"

"Aang and Katara, Toph and her boyfriend Satoru, and Ty Lee's even coming down for the event – "

"Oh, that's gr– "

"– and her date as well."

She wrinkles her face. "Ty Lee's dating someone?"

"Well, not exactly." He pauses. "Katara… kinda set her up with someone."

Suddenly everything makes sense. Sokka's strange mood, why he doesn't want to have this conversation with her… she gets it. There's only one reason why Katara would want to find a date for Ty Lee, and it's not out of the kindness of her heart. "I see," she mutters. "So what you're really asking me is if I'd like to spend the night being a ninth wheel to four couples."

"W-Well, it doesn't have to be like that – we're all going to hang out as friends."

"Spare me, Sokka. You _know_ this isn't really an invitation."

"Yes, it is!"

"Who wants me there? Really?"

"Well I do – "

"Besides you and Ty Lee."

He fidgets in his seat and bites his lip.

"That's what I thought."

"Well most of them don't _mind_ you being there."

"Great." She rolls her eyes. "That's exactly what I want to hear."

"I'm sorry, okay? I really am. I know how this sounds."

She scowls. "Well, you can go and tell Katara that she's won this battle. I'm not going."

"Azula, come on." He gives her a pleading look. "Just think about it – "

"I can't think of anything more nauseating than spending the night with four happy couples. I'd rather be alone. So thanks, but no thanks, I'll pass."

He sighs with defeat. "I don't… I don't want you to miss out. The Glacier Spirits Festival is really fun, the food is amazing and the fireworks display is – "

"I've been to enough street fairs in my day, and I've seen plenty of fireworks."

He frowns. "Again, I'm really sorry…"

"It's fine," she murmurs. But it's not fine. She's the opposite of fine. She hasn't felt this low, this _alone_ in a long while. But perhaps this is a blessing in disguise. She'd clearly been living in a fantasy land, where she had friends and people who wanted her around. It was never real. And she only has herself to blame. Given everything she's done, why would she expect things could ever change? She's a monster and that's how she'll always be perceived.

"I miss hanging out with you," he says softly.

She doesn't believe him, but she doesn't want to cause trouble. She remembers her goal when she first came to the Southern Water Tribe. Lay low, work hard, go home. "I miss hanging out with you too."

He gives her a weak smile.

"Let me know how the proposal goes, okay?"

His mood picks up. "I will!"

She watches him leave and she just wants to shrivel into nothingness.

Hakoda looks sorrowfully over at her from his desk. "Azula, I couldn't help but overhear – "

"I don't want to talk about it." She clenches her jaw as she chokes back tears.

"Would you like to take the rest of the day off?"

"No." She shakes her head. "I'm fine." _Lay low, work hard, go home._

* * *

It's the day of the festival and Azula is not wearing the Water Tribe dress Sokka insisted she wear that evening. Why would she bother dressing up if she has no intention of going? No, instead she dons her most comfortable Fire Nation attire and impulsively decides to head to the office. With all the commotion of the festival going on, it's too damn loud outside, too joyous of an atmosphere for her liking, but the "palace" should be empty. If she throws herself into her work, perhaps she'll just forget all about the stupid festival and stupid Katara and her loyal friends.

For a while, her system works. The office is eerily quiet. Oddly enough, she finds Hakoda's absence to be a slight distraction, even though she's been in the office plenty of times without him before. She realizes how much more secure she feels when he's around. He's been so kind to her, kinder than she deserves. She sighs at her desk and buries her head in some paperwork.

Just as the sun vanishes beneath the horizon, she's startled by a man's voice and instinctively prepares herself for combat, readying a fireball in her palm.

"Oh," she breathes, extinguishing the flame. "It's just you."

Hakoda raises his arms in surrender. "I didn't come here looking for a fight," he says with a gentle laugh.

"Sorry, old habits," she snickers. "So what are you doing here?"

"The better question is, what are _you_ doing here?" he counters.

"What does it look like?"

"It looks like you're working when you should be at the festival."

She dips her head back and rolls her eyes. "I told you I'm not going."

He smiles. "That's where you're mistaken."

"Hakoda, no. I don't want to go."

"I think you do, I think you just don't want to go alone."

"Well, as you can see," she sneers, gesturing to the empty room around her, "I'm just swarmed with companions who'd like to accompany me."

"Azula…" he says, lowering his eyes at her. "Come on. Let's go."

"' _Let's'_?" she repeats, looking for clarification.

"I'm taking you to the festival."

"Oh no." She raises a hand in protest. "I'm not going to let you waste your time at some dumb festival just because you feel sorry for me."

"And I'm not going to let you waste your time feeling sorry for yourself."

She opens her mouth to speak but he continues over her.

"Besides, I was planning on going anyway. But I think it would be more fun if I had some company."

"And I'm sure my name was the first to pop into your head when you thought about with whom you'd like to spend your evening," she says sarcastically.

"Actually it was."

She crosses her arms. "I don't believe you."

"You don't have to. But, just so you know, I'm not leaving here without you."

"Then get comfortable because you're in for a long night."

He laughs. "Azula, whether you like it or not, you're coming with me to the festival."

"You can't make me do anything," she challenges.

"I'm not taking no for an answer."

Something about the sternness and authoritarian tone of his voice gives her goosebumps. She likes seeing this side of him. "I'm… I'm not dressed for the occasion."

"So we'll stop by the inn, you'll get changed, and then we'll be on our way."

"But – "

"Azula, what makes you think you have a say in this?"

She smirks. It appears she doesn't have a say in the matter. And she finds that all the more intriguing.

"Now come on. Let's go."

* * *

She changes quicky in her room, slipping on the Water Tribe dress that made Sokka's jaw drop. It may be the shortest day of the year, and a cold one at that, but she figures she can stay warm enough without an outer layer since the dress is lined with fur and made for this climate. She tidies her hair and makeup and heads out to meet Hakoda, who's waiting for her at the entrance.

His blue eyes widen. "Wow, you look – " He blinks. "– Th-That's a nice dress."

Her cheeks fill with heat. She smirks. "Your son helped pick it out for me."

"Well, he has good taste."

"I suppose," she says, shrugging.

He smiles. "Shall we?" He starts to walk down the steps, but she doesn't follow.

"What if…"

He turns back around.

"What if we run into…" Her voice trails off as she looks down at her boots.

"Then we snub 'em," he says with a wide grin.

She looks back up at him, raising an eyebrow. "You would really snub your own offspring?"

He laughs. "Well, normally no, but… I think they've treated you unfairly, especially Katara."

Azula can't believe he's taking her side. Over his own children!

"They're old enough to understand their actions have consequences. So if we run into them, we'll just pretend we never saw them and go somewhere else. How does that sound?"

A mischievous smile spreads across her face.

* * *

The festival is bright and energetic. Strings of blue and yellow lanterns align the perimeter and weave throughout the aisles of games and food vendors. The center is crowded with people watching performers on the big stage. Music can be heard on every street. The sensory overload instantly distracts Azula from her self-pity party, especially as Hakoda forces some food into her hand.

"Here," he says, handing her some sort of kebab.

"What is it?"

"I don't know," he shrugs. "Meat."

Like father, like son. "Alright." She tears into the meat stick, realizing she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. "Mmm. Delicious." She looks over at him and he's already finished his first kebab and has a second meat stick in hand.

"So, where to first?" he asks.

"Hmm… How about some games?"

As they stroll through the aisles of frivolous festival games, Azula's reminded of her trips to the Ember Island boardwalk with Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee. She and Zuzu always ended up in some stupid competition over who could win the most prizes. She smiles to herself as she plays back the night Zuko accidentally set fire to one of the combat games in the arcade.

"I bet you I can win more games than you," she taunts, grinning up at Hakoda.

He laughs. "Is that what you think?"

"Mmhmm."

"Oh, it's on!"

They proceed to hop from game to game, collecting prizes and taking names, distracting each other with silly noises and movements as their competition heats. Much to Azula's chagrin, Hakoda is annoyingly good at these types of games, however, unlike how she would have acted around her brother, she remains a good sport. She's happy to see Hakoda taking the competition so seriously and not going easy on her. But what thrills her even more is how the two of them are undoubtfully ruining the fun of the Water Tribe children who stand no chance to them. Hakoda is at least kind enough to hand out the prizes he's winning to screaming children to appease them. Azula is not so generous. She walks proudly with the stuffed animals she's collected so far: a miniature polar bear dog, a pink pentapus, and a white deer fox. She notices Hakoda giving her a funny look.

"What?" she asks.

"Nothing," he chuckles.

"No, tell me."

"I just didn't think the fearsome Fire Nation princess would have such a fondness for cute animals."

"I do not!"

"Yes, you do," he continues to tease.

She narrows her eyes at him.

"It's okay. Your secret's safe with me."

"Well, who _doesn't_ like cute animals?" she scowls. "Animals are better than people." As if on cue, out of the corner of her eye she spots what she believes to be the top of Ty Lee's signature braided ponytail snaking through the crowd. Her stomach drops. Sure enough, Ty Lee and her handsome date, albeit with a questionable mustache, and the rest of the group come into focus. "Speaking of…" She gestures to the oncoming group with a quick nod of her head.

"Come on," he says urgently, turning his back toward them and walking briskly away. "Let's try that ring toss game on the other side."

"Let me guess… you're a ring toss pro?"

"No, not at all." He gives her a playful smile. "I just saw you eyeing that giant stuffed otter penguin and thought you might like a chance to win it."

"I was eyeing no such thing!" she stammers, blushing with embarrassment.

"Sure you weren't."

She rolls her eyes.

They approach the ring toss stand and Azula wonders why all the prizes are huge compared to those of the other games. The young man attending the booth greets them but suddenly looks uneasy and a tad guilty when he recognizes the Head Chieftain. After several failed attempts at the game, it becomes clear why.

"This game is rigged," Azula snarls after throwing her final ring.

"N-No, it's not," the attendant nervously insists. "See?" He grabs a ring from his belt and successfully throws it onto one of the many bottleheads. "Just takes practice."

"Oh really?" she challenges. "Then let me use your ring."

"W-What?"

"The ring you just used. Give me that one."

Panicked, he looks at the Head Chieftain for help.

"You heard her," Hakoda says with a smug smile.

He swallows and reluctantly hands over the ring. It's sweaty. Azula recoils with disgust. Without asking, she grabs one of Hakoda's rings and compares the two. Just as she suspected, the attendant's ring is larger. She looks up at the attendant with daggers in her eyes. At this point he's sweating bullets. "Care to explain?"

"It's n-not up to me, I-I just work here!" he stutters. "Please don't tell anyone. H-Here." He quickly hands them their money back. "We're good now, right?"

Azula shrugs and turns to walk away, but Hakoda places a hand on her shoulder and stops her.

"We don't care about the money. We're not leaving here until we get that otter penguin."

Her eyes light up as she gazes at Hakoda.

"I-I can't give you a prize unless you actually win," he attendant squeaks. "My boss would kill me if she found out. Come on, I gave you your money back."

"That's not good enough."

"I've got this, Hakoda," she sneers, tossing the larger ring from the attendant in the air and catching it. She takes a step back, winds up, and gently tosses the ring into the sea of bottles. The ring catches on to one of the bottleheads, swirls around a couple of times, and then falls to the ground. "Damn it!"

"Sorry, Azula," he frowns, looking down at his remaining rings. "Well, may as well chuck the rest of these." He grabs the rings and throws them carelessly. As fate would have it, one of them lands directly on a bottlehead. His mouth falls open.

"Well, I'll be," the attendant says, dumbfounded.

"YES! YOU DID IT!" Azula cheers, giving Hakoda a celebratory high-five before turning to the attendant. "Suck on that, you crook."

Hakoda snickers at the unexpected foul language that even caught Azula off guard as it left her own mouth. "The penguin otter, please."

"You've earned it." The man pulls a penguin otter off the rack and hands it to him. "Now, please leave my booth."

Hakoda and Azula walk away grinning from ear to ear, basking in their triumph.

"Well, here you go," Hakoda smiles, offering Azula the stuffed animal.

"Really? You're not going to pawn it off on some insufferable child?"

He shakes his head. "I want you to have it." He hands it to her.

Her cheeks flush as her hand grazes his. "Thank you," she says quietly.

"You're very welcome. So… where to now?"

"Ummm… let's see…" All of sudden, Azula hears her name being called through the crowd.

" _Azula! Azulaaaaaa!"_

It's Ty Lee. She found her. Shit.

* * *

Before they can escape, Ty Lee torpedoes into Azula, hugging her tight and picking her up in the air. "Azula! I can't believe you're here!"

"Put. Me. Down," she manages to get out.

Ty Lee sets her down. "I'm so happy to see you! Katara said you weren't coming."

"I… I guess I've had a change of heart."

"Well that's great! Now we can watch the fireworks together." She looks up at the Head Chieftain. "You too, Hakoda! Hi, by the way."

"Hello, Ty Lee" he chuckles. "It's always good to see you."

"So you'll come, right? The show starts in fifteen minutes – "

"Oh, is it that late already?" Hakoda asks. "Sorry, I need to get headed back."

Azula isn't sure if he's trying to give her an out or if he's pushing her to spend time with the others. "What do you need to do?" she questions.

"Well," he starts, quieting his voice, "Katara, Aang, and I are throwing together a little engagement party for Sokka and Suki tonight."

"WHAT?!" Ty Lee gasps with excitement. "Sokka's going to propose?!"

"You mean he hasn't already?" Azula asks.

"No! Well now we _have_ to find the others. I don't want to miss this!" She grabs Azula's hand and starts pulling.

"Wait, Ty, hold on." Azula turns to Hakoda. "Don't you need some help getting set up? It's getting pretty cold anyway – "

"No, no. Thanks for the offer, but I have everything under control. You should go see the fireworks with your friends."

Azula opens her mouth to protest, but as if he can read her mind, Hakoda addresses her concern.

"Knowing my daughter, I bet she and Aang have already left."

"Yes, they did!" Ty Lee confirms. "Katara said she was feeling tired and Aang took her home, but now I know the real reason, and I can't wait to party tonight!"

"Well, I… I guess I could…"

Hakoda smiles softly. "Here, take this." He removes his coat. "You said you were getting cold."

"Oh, no. Hakoda, I couldn't," Azula politely refuses. "You'll freeze."

"Hah," he laughs dismissively. "Good one." He drapes the coat around Azula's shoulders. It's huge on her. "There you go. Just return it to me when you can."

"Thank you." She returns the soft smile.

"Now go enjoy the fireworks!" He turns his back to them and takes off.

Immediately after Hakoda is out of earshot, Ty Lee latches onto Azula's arm and whispers. "Girl, tell me _everything_."

"What do you mean?" she laughs.

"About you and Hakoda!"

"What?" She looks at Ty Lee, puzzled.

"It looked like you two were just on a date!"

"Wh-What, no we weren't!" Azula is truly shocked to hear this. Why would Ty Lee think something like this? Then again, the girl has a tendency to see romance just about everywhere. "We're just friends. Colleagues."

"But he gave you his coat."

"Because he's a gentleman…"

"And I saw him win you that adorable stuffed otter penguin!"

Azula rolls her eyes. "He was just being nice."

Ty Lee shakes her head. "Girl, I know attraction when I see it, and there were sparks flying everywhere."

"I don't know what to tell you, Ty. There's nothing going on between us."

"Seriously? You've never even thought about it?"

"Would _you_?"

"Yeah, are you kidding me? He's hot!"

"He's Sokka and Katara's _dad_!"

"Yeah, exactly. He's a _daddy_."

"Ty!" The way Ty Lee emphasized the word made Azula's cheeks flush. Is that a thing young women desire? Hot dads? Well… Hakoda is certainly easy on the eyes…

"What?" she shrugs, smirking. "I'm just saying if I were you, I'd go for it. And you _know_ he's thinking about it too."

"No way. Hakoda's never given me that impression."

"Azula. You're the smartest, prettiest girl in the whole world. Of course he's thought about it."

"Well, you're right about those things, but in this case you're mistaken. There's no way he's ever looked at me like that."

"I'm never wrong about these things," she smiles. "You'll see."


	5. Emotional Support Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula and Hakoda share a dance at Sokka and Suki's engagement party, leaving Azula with so many questions. After the party is over, she decides to be bold and find out once and for all how Hakoda feels about her.

Sokka and Suki are engaged. With the very public proposal right on the main stage just before the fireworks display, it's the talk of the town. Sokka can't stop grinning and Suki can't stop looking at her ring. It's sweet. Sickeningly so.

Azula is happy for her friend, she really is. And yet… she can't stop glancing at the happy couple and thinking about how she'll probably never have what they have. No one has ever looked at her that way, the way Sokka looks at Suki, as if she's his whole world. No one has ever loved her, at least not unconditionally. Why would things change?

And why is she feeling so pathetic and anxious when everyone else around her is having a great time? People are up on their feet dancing, drinking, hugging, cheering, and Azula is… sitting by herself trying to assess whether it would be rude to leave the party early. The only positive reassurance she can give herself is, while she may be feeling jealous, jealous that love and friendship come so easily to others but not to her, she's not jealous of any one person in particular. She's not jealous of Suki.

The engagement party had started out okay. Katara didn't flat out kick her out of the house at the very least. With the help of Ty Lee's natural amicability, Azula was able to have a somewhat normal conversation with Aang, up until he had to greet some new guests and showoff some gimmicky airbending tricks. Then she spent some time chatting with Toph and her boyfriend Satoru. Under different circumstances, Azula believes she and Toph could have been good friends, and maybe there is still some hope for that. Going into the night, she knew better than to expect any alone time with Sokka, the man of the hour. But all of Azula's social victories were cut short after Ty Lee started drinking. A tipsy Ty Lee is a boy-crazy Ty Lee. Her date, Haru, never stood a chance against her wiles. They were the first couple of the night to hit the dancefloor, and before long, all the happy couples were dancing the night away and Azula was left on her own.

So she sits alone, pretending to sip some champagne. Although she enjoys the taste, she has no intention of letting her guard down and becoming inebriated. Not in front of people she doesn't trust. Not in front of Katara. Her first instinct is to look for Hakoda, at least to have someone to talk to, but he's off being a good host to all the people coming in to congratulate the newly engaged couple. She doesn't want to interfere. This may be the first time in her life she wishes Zuko and Mai were here to keep her company. Sure they may be another couple, but neither of them enjoy dancing, especially not Mai. She wonders how they're faring with the newborn. She wonders what little Izumi is like. Is she quiet like her mother? Is she fussy like Zuzu? Who does she look like? Is she a firebender? She smiles to herself, just thinking about her little niece.

Feeling homesick and neglected, she decides to sneak out. No one will notice. Perhaps it's rude to leave without thanking the hosts, but they're all currently occupied and she doesn't want to draw attention to herself. She grabs Hakoda's coat and heads for the door, timing her departure with the arrival of a group of guests as not to be seen.

Her plan doesn't work.

"Ahem," Hakoda clears his throat. "Where do you think you're going?"

Azula turns back around. "I-I was just… feeling tired. It's getting late, and – "

He shakes his head. "I'm afraid I can't let you leave."

"Oh, and why's that?"

"Because it's illegal to leave this party without dancing."

"Illegal?" she asks, laughing. "Are you going to report me to the authorities or something?"

"Ooh, you wouldn't want me to do that. I hear the Head Chieftain has a real temper."

"Yeah, I hear he's a real menace," she teases. "But unfortunately, I'm going to have to take my chances. I'm not much of a dancer, you see."

"I don't believe that for a second."

"Fine," she concedes. "But I don't know how to dance like… _that_." She gestures to the dancefloor. "Whatever it is they're doing. I'm classically trained."

"Well in that case…" He holds up a finger and disappears for a moment. Azula can see him whispering something to the hired musicians. When he returns, the music changes to a more familiar style. He holds out his hand. "May I?"

She raises an eyebrow. "You dance?"

"What, is that so hard to believe?" he chuckles. "I may have grown up in the Southern Water Tribe but I've picked up a few things here and there during my travels."

"I suppose I'll be the judge of that," she smirks, taking his hand.

He escorts her onto the dancefloor and assumes a proper ballroom position, placing his right hand on her back just below her shoulder and his left hand out to the side, gently cupping her right hand. He proceeds to lead her, elegantly and in time with the music. "So… how am I doing?" he asks with a pompous grin.

"I must say, Hakoda, you're a man of many talents. I'm impressed."

He pretends to look shocked. "Have I really managed to impress the fearsome Fire Nation princess?"

"Just take the compliment."

He smiles. "So, who taught you to dance?"

"Ozai."

"…You're joking, right?"

"Obviously!" she laughs. "He would never have allowed such a thing. Mother made me take lessons with Zuzu when we were children."

"I can only imagine how that must have gone…"

"Yes, there was some fighting. Some foot stomping, biting, hair pulling. Crying too." She smiles. "It was fun."

"Was Zuko a good partner?"

She thinks for a moment. "He was a slow learner, but he got there eventually. I hope for his sake he's retained some of it. It would be awfully embarrassing if the Fire Lord couldn't dance at his own soirees."

"He danced with Mai at their wedding just fine."

"Oh, that's right. Spirits, I can hardly remember that night," she chuckles. "I didn't realize taking the position of Zuko's political adviser would involve me being siphoned into being his wedding coordinator too. What a headache that was."

"Yeah, I… I barely remember seeing you that night," he laughs. "But I do remember that toast you gave, in that… gold dress?"

"Mmhmm," she nods, blushing. "Good memory." Did he really notice her back then? Or is he just that observant?

He smiles.

They're quiet for the rest of the dance. He pulls her into a closed position and she makes the bold decision to rest her head on his shoulder. She closes her eyes. His arms are so strong; he smells like winter. Her heart is racing as they sway together, and she can't help but wonder if he's feeling the same way or if this is all in her head. It was all in her head with Sokka and she doesn't want to make the same mistake twice. She doesn't want to get her hopes up for them to come crashing down like they always do.

To distract herself from potentially getting carried away, she lifts her head from his shoulder, opens her eyes, and tries to focus on what everyone else is doing. Did anybody notice? Fortunately it seems she's off the hook. Everyone's absorbed in their own little worlds. Aang and Katara are dancing slowly, with Katara's pregnant belly preventing them from getting too close. Sokka and Suki are lost in each other's eyes, staring at each other like lovesick goat dog pups. Toph and Satoru are the only ones not attempting to ballroom dance and just doing their own thing. And Ty Lee and Haru are giving each other looks that would make everyone in the room uncomfortable if they were paying attention.

Azula catches Ty Lee's eye for a second and Ty Lee grins mischievously at her. An all-knowing look. _"Told you,"_ she mouths. Azula rolls her eyes, but she can't help but smile. Maybe Ty Lee was right after all.

But maybe she wasn't. Her head keeps cycling back to her doubts and insecurities. Sure, Hakoda has paid her some extra attention, but he's never overtly flirted with her, at least, not to her knowledge. Or maybe he has and she just didn't notice? It's certainly possible… it's not like she's the expert on flirting. To the contrary, if going by experience, she's completely inept when it comes to these sorts of things. She begins to overanalyze all their interactions since she arrived at the Southern Water Tribe and comes to the conclusion that he could just be a kind, generous man acting out of the goodness of his heart. If she were going to find out the truth, and Spirits know it's killing her to find out, it's likely that she would have to initiate something between them. But how?

The song comes to an end and Hakoda finishes their dance with a classic dip. She feels her cheeks flushing as he looks into her eyes. He pulls her back up.

"Thank you for the dance, Hakoda."

He smiles. "Any time."

"Have I earned my right to leave?" she asks teasingly.

"I suppose so," he chuckles. "I think I'm going to get headed out soon too. Leave the partying to the kids."

The way Hakoda referred to the group as "kids" sows a seed of doubt in Azula's mind. Is that the way he sees her? As a child? "Okay. Have a good night."

"You too. Get home safe, okay?"

She sneers. "Who do you think you're talking to?"

"Yeah, yeah. I should've known better."

She leaves the party with so many unanswered questions on her mind.

* * *

She lies in bed, forcing her eyes shut, but she can't find sleep for the life of her. She tries to concentrate on her breathing, but her restless energy keeps her from focusing. So she gets up and paces. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. She needs to know. She just needs to know.

Does he like her or not? Does he care for her or does he just feel sorry for her? Does he think of her like a colleague, a friend, a young person who needs his care, or… a potential girlfriend? She does feel fairly confident Hakoda enjoys her company, and he did seem to be attracted to her when she wore that Water Tribe dress… but attraction isn't enough. It wasn't enough for Chan at any rate. But she had chased Chan away with her personality, and she isn't the same person as she was back then. She's better now, isn't she?

Well, if she were truly better, she probably wouldn't be pacing like this, thinking obsessively about Hakoda. Spirits know he's probably not thinking about her. He's probably getting ready for bed, happy that his son is getting married to the love of his life. There's no way he's getting all worked up like this, thinking about whether Azula likes him or not. She sighs and slumps down onto the floor, wishing she weren't so pitiful. Or lonely.

But perhaps Hakoda is feeling lonely too. He lives by himself. His children are independent and have their own lives. His wife was taken from him. His Northern Water Tribe girlfriend left. Maybe he's in need of some company just as much as Azula is. Maybe she should go over to his house and pay him a late-night visit…

No. That would be ridiculous. Wouldn't it be? What would happen if she showed up out of nowhere like that? Would he kick her out, or… would he want her to stay? Either way, she'd be able to get some answers and finally get some damn sleep.

What would Ty Lee do? She always knows what to do when it comes to men. Well, Ty Lee wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. Everyone loves her and she knows that. But if she were in Azula's position, then Ty Lee would… do something audacious.

Something catches Azula's eye, Hakoda's coat draped over a chair, and suddenly she's struck with an idea. Channeling her inner Ty Lee, she strips down to her underwear and puts on the coat, which is long enough on her that it fits like a floor length dress. She brushes her hair, throws on a little makeup, and braces herself for a very cold walk.

* * *

Her heart in her throat and butterflies in her stomach, she knocks on his door. It doesn't take long for him to answer, and she's relieved she didn't wake him up.

"Azula…?" He looks at her concerned. "What are you doing here? Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she assures. "May I come in?"

"Of course." He watches her as she walks past him. "Is everything alright? Do you need something?"

She keeps her back turned toward him. "I just came to return your coat."

"Oh… you didn't have to do that ton – "

He cuts himself off as she begins to unbutton the coat, letting the fur slide down her bare shoulders.

She turns around to face him. He's staring at her with wide blue eyes, his mouth slightly agape. "I know." She smirks. "Well… would you like it back or not?" She lets more of the fabric slide down her arms.

No words come out of his mouth. Instead, he nods.

"That's what I figured." Slowly and deliberately, she walks closer to him and snakes her arms around his neck. He's frozen in place, all but his blue eyes that wander down to her mouth. Closing her eyes, she gently presses her lips to his.


End file.
